🧀 Parmesan

Parmesan is what Parmigiano Reggiano, a hard granular cow's milk cheese, is called outside Italy. In the EU, “Parmigiano Reggiano” has been a protected designation of origin since 1996, and its finely granular paste breaks into flakes rather than slices.

Whether “parmesan” on a pack means that cheese depends on where you shop. In 2008 the EU Court of Justice ruled that the word evokes the protected name, so inside the EU it may only go on cheese made to the specification. Outside the EU the rules depend on the country, and a pack labelled “parmesan” may follow different ones; the full name “Parmigiano Reggiano” and the EU PDO symbol are the real test.

The specification fixes the area: the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena, Bologna on the left bank of the Reno and Mantua on the right bank of the Po. Evening milk is partly skimmed by letting the cream rise, then mixed with the morning milk. It stays raw: no heating, no centrifuge, no additives. In copper vats it is soured with whey from the previous batch and curdled, and each vat yields at most two wheels, which are brined and aged for at least 12 months.

A finished wheel is a cylinder 35–43 cm across that weighs at least 30 kg. Its side carries the dotted inscription “Parmigiano-Reggiano”, the dairy number, the year and the month; after inspection the consortium adds an oval brand. A cut piece keeps part of that lettering, and a packed piece over 15 g must state its age.

Lactose is practically gone from the finished cheese: lactic bacteria ferment it in the first 48 hours, and the consortium's tests find less than 0.01 g per 100 g.

Comparisons

• Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano: what is the difference

Frequently asked questions

Cheese

Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) belongs to hard cheeses and to protected cheese names: in the EU it has been a PDO since 1996. It is made only from raw cow's milk without additives, curdled with calf rennet in copper vats, and the wheels are salted in brine. Ageing lasts at least 12 months, often 24 or more, which makes the paste granular so it breaks into flakes. Tip: grate it over pasta or risotto just before serving and drop the rind into a broth.

Composition per 100 g

How it connects to milk

🧀 Parmesan → made from → 🧀 Raw milk → becomes → 🥛 Milk

How it connects to Cheese

🧀 Parmesan → kind of → 🧀 Cheese

Links

Recipes

• Mushroom risotto with white wine
• Pesto alla genovese
• Lasagne verdi alla bolognese
• Pasta alla genovese
• Gnocchi alla sorrentina
• Pizzoccheri alla valtellinese
• Roman-style pasta e fagioli

Guides

• How to Read a Milk and Dairy Label: UHT, Fat, Use By
• Cheese and Dairy for Beginners: 15 Ideas to Start With

What to read next

• 🍝 Lasagne — Italian baked dish of wide pasta sheets layered with ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano; the Emilia-Romagna classic is green lasagne alla bolognese in at least six layers.
• 🧀 Parmareggio Le Eccellenze — Parmareggio Le Eccellenze is a range of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO selected by age and origin: 40 months, mountain, Vacche Rosse, Vacche Brune and organic.
• Passatelli — Fresh pasta from Romagna: cylinders about 4–5 mm thick and 8–10 cm long made from stale grated bread, Parmigiano Reggiano, eggs and spices, pressed through a perforated iron and traditionally served in broth.
• 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
• 🔄 Ripening — Maturing cheese for weeks to years.

Similar

🧀 Feta · 🧀 Halloumi · 🧀 Roquefort · 🧀 Pecorino Siciliano · 🧀 Grana Padano · 🧀 Bitto

ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.

What it includes

Sources

• Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano — Disciplinare di produzione della DOP «Parmigiano Reggiano»
• eAmbrosia — Parmigiano Reggiano PDO-IT-0016
• Court of Justice of the EU, Case C-132/05 Commission v Germany («Parmesan»), 26.02.2008
• Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano — Product guide: cutting and storage
• Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano — Product guide: nutritional characteristics
• Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano
• NHS — Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Also listed under

• Cheese › Protected cheese names
• Milk › Dairy products › Cheese
• Cheese › Italian cheeses